Crazy White Woman
by Just Maritza
Summary: Mar.'09 Challenge 2 on the DQMW Forum deals with combining two images to create a short story. First pic are a shocked Matthew and Colleen and the other, Michaela happily cooing and cradling a baby. Is Michaela harboring a secret love child?


Michaela sat in her homestead rocking a baby in her arms, cooing and singing to it. That of a loving mother was written all over her face. Brian was nowhere to be found. The two older children have been searching in vain all afternoon for him after they teased him with Dr. Mike wanting to replace him with that abandoned baby the family had been caring for. Matthew in particular really teased the most causing Brian to runaway. They just got back home to find Michaela had transformed the alcove, where Brian and Colleen sleep in into a baby's room, and the most loving smile plastered on.

Matthew ran into Colleen who had stop dead on her tracks and immediately recognized the small bundle in Michaela's loving arms. "Dr. Mike, what are you doing with that baby? I thought you gave him back."

"Well, as you can see, I didn't." Michaela shifted the bundle of joy for them to have a better view.

"But we saw you give him back," said Colleen, looking nervously into Matthew's eyes.

"So I stuff a potato sack, and covered it up with blankest. That singing cowboy will never notice."

"Never notice?" Both children said incredulously.

"Yes, he already abandoned this baby before. Who is to say he wouldn't do it again when the tough gets going? So, I'm doing him the favor and keeping him. Isn't he adorable?" She smiled exaggeratedly showing off the half breed baby with pride as though she bore it."

"But...," said Matthew searching for what to say.

"I'm only protecting him."

"But…What about us?" Colleen desperately said confused at what was unfolding before her eyes. "You'll have too many mouths to feed."

"That's okay, I can always give Brian away should he ever show up. On the other hand, you Matthew, you're old enough to make it on your own. Nevertheless, Colleen, I definitely can use your help at the clinic and watching the baby while I tend to my patients."

"What?" Again, both children said in unison.

"Well, I've always wanted a baby and now that I have one, there is no need for me to marry. I didn't have to go through carrying or birthing him. Besides, Sully will be an old man by the time he finally asks me to even court him." Then eyeing Matthew seriously, "Since someone around here claimed I'm an old maid, I shouldn't have to wait forever to have a baby, right?"

"But…Dr. Mike? Colleen responded.

"Are you crazy? Matthew followed with. "You can't keep someone else's baby. There are laws against that."

"Well, Sully did say Chief Kettle thought I was "A crazy white woman," so I guess I am." She giggled psychotically.

The children stared at her bewildered not knowing what to do after realizing that she had finally flipped with overworking herself at the clinic. Michaela continued to tend to the baby, bringing him to the cradle in the alcove, and forgetting that Matthew and Colleen were there as she closed the curtain.

Desperately pulling her brother close to her by his sleeve, "Matthew, what are we going to do? Dr. Mike has finally lost it. I didn't realize she wanted a baby that bad."

"Neither did I. I thought she was just kidding for a moment, but she kept on and seems pretty crazy alright. Maybe if we help her have a nice long rest she'll be back to normal and realize what she's doing is wrong. But, right now, let's get Sully to help find our little bother before dark falls.

"Oh, Matthew, first we loose Brian and now it looks like we've lost Dr. Mike. She wants to get rid of him and you too. Did you hear?

"Don't worry little sister. Once Sully gets here, he'll fix everything." With that, he kissed his sister on the forehead and told her to watch over Dr. Mike while he goes for Sully to search for their brother.

Colleen began to gently sob, and suddenly someone embraces her. "Oh, sweetheart, I'm so sorry to make you worry that way. We thought Matthew was coming in by himself. We just had to teach him a lesson. Brian is here safe with us. The baby's father found him and brought him home. I'm just watching him till he and Sully have their fun with Matthew. I wanted so much to come out and tell you, but Sully had me hold off from telling you the truth for a little while longer. Relief washed over Colleen as she embraced Michaela fiercely and then a slow upward curve spread across her face as she realized maybe this will stop her brother from constantly teasing them.

Meanwhile, Matthew ran smack into Sully coming out round the back of the house.

"Sully! We need your help."

What for?

"Brian is misssing. Ran off. You gotta help find him."

"So."

"So?"

"Yeah, so?"

"You're good at tracking. Don't you care about Brian? Sully what's wrong?" He yelled angered by his uncaring words.

"What he ran off for?"

"I…uh…teased him some."

"Seems to me you need to grow up and not tease him so much."

"I know, I know, and I will make things better for him."

"How so?"

"I don't know, I guess apologize and maybe take all his chores for a month or something. Please Sully you gotta help."

"Not my problem, he ran away again."

"Sully?"

"Alright, wait here while I tend to something."

Sully rounded the back of the house while Matthew wondered what was going on with Dr. Mike and now Sully. Did Dr. Mike really not care about Brian now that she has that baby?"

All at once, a small crowd came from behind the homestead, and little Brian running up to his big brother, shouting, "I fooled ya… I fooled ya!"

"What the heck?" Shocked and bewildered at seeing Dr. Mike arm in arm laughing along hysterically with the baby and his father beside them, Sully silently standing behind them with a half grin about to burst out laughing, while Brian just kept shouting up and down how he got his brother.

Sully then walked up to Matthew, patting him on the back and extending his hand to him. "Sorry Matthew, but as long as I've known ya, you're always teasing your sister and little brother. Sometimes you go too far. Brian was so upset this time for your over doing it that he actually ran away."

"I know Sully," Shame crept across his face. He turned to look at Brian's gleeful face, "Sorry little brother."

"That's alright. I had fun getting you back.

"Not for you to suddenly get even all the time," Sully said concerned he might have sent the wrong message to Brian.

"I won't Sully."

"Turning back to Matthew, "I just needed to make sure you knew how much you really hurt Brian this time telling him how he was going to be replaced with the baby. He loves you and looks up to you. It just wasn't right.

"Lesson well learned," Matthew said smiling back.

"And my chores?" Brian piped up.

"Sure, I'll even do it for a couple of months."

"Yay!" He said embracing his brother.

"Anyway, I thought I'ld get Dr. Mike to loosen up some for having had a stressful work day."

"Thank you, Sully. That was sort fun. I didn't think I have it in me to go along, to act that is. I don't like practical jokes, but since it was all in the name of teaching a lesson, I guess it was alright. I only regret fooling Colleen. She really was worried thinking I've gone mad keeping the baby."

"That's okay Dr. Mike, but you sure had me going for a while with your crazy act. Maybe you should try acting."

"No, thank you. Being a mother and a doctor are good enough for me.

"It was all my idea. Sully helped," Brian beamed out.

"And, don't forget I helped," voiced by a small voice coming from the direction of the baby while his father waved the baby's tiny hand as though the words were spoken by him. Everyone laughed.

"You know, you look a lot like my best friend Daniel Simmons, Sully wondered." Any relations?"

With that, the singing cowboy made his exit bidding everyone goodbye and of course taking his baby boy with him before Michaela has any notion of actually keeping the baby.

Everyone began entering the homestead. Michaela followed by Sully were last to proceed. Sully tugged the bow behind her back preventing her to go in.

"Sully!"

"Old?"

"Sullly I'm sorry. I was just…

"You sure being a mother and doctor are all you want?

Michaela blushed profusely, not knowing where this was heading and needing to escape his powerful presence before she makes a fool of herself.

Sully lifted up an arm and offered it to her." Why don't we take a stroll? Shall we?

Happily, Michaela accepted his invitation with curious anticipation.


End file.
